


Awakening in the Force

by LJ_Pynn



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Resistance (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark Rey (Star Wars), F/M, Gen, M/M, Retelling, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:01:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23302840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LJ_Pynn/pseuds/LJ_Pynn
Summary: The Galaxy is in danger from the FIRST ORDER. Ben Solofinds himself wrapped up in an adventure he tried to avoidhis entire life as Kyla Ren's invasion begins across the galaxy
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

  
  


Poe leaned against the hull of the X-Wing as the engines cooled. He looked up toward the night sky above the desert. As he recounted the star systems he’d visited, BB-8 rolled up to his side. A short series of robotic beeping snapped the pilot out of his daydreaming.  
  
“ _A bad feeling_ ?” He responded, looking down at the droid. “I told you, this will be simple. He gets here, we get the data, then we split.”  
  
BB-8 let out more of it’s electronic language and flashed it’s headlamp at the dimly lit Niima Outpost. They had landed in a clearing just outside of the small settlement.  
  
“Oh, don’t worry,” Poe reassured his friend. “The planet’s been a junkyard for decades. I’m sure any scavengers that are left are few and far between.” He moved his jacket enough to flash the blaster at his side. “Trust me, no one will take you away so long as I’m here, buddy.”  
  
The droid hummed in satisfied resignation. Still, unfolding and charging it’s shock-prod until the mission was over gave BB-8 peace of mind. Both stayed quiet in the moments before Poe’s chrono began to chirp.  
  


“Any minute now,” Poe said.  
  
The droid beeped an affirmative, then continued.  
  
“Coming out of Hyperspace? Alright, put up the signal.”  
  
The droid leaned their head back, facing straight upward. Putting full power to the headlamp, a series of flashes into the sky stood as a beacon to their awaited guest. Almost immediately, the familiar sound of modern fighter engines filled the area. A massively bright light shone meters above them.  
  
“Damn, that was fast!” Poe covered his eyes as sand was kicked up by the landing ship. After the dust settled, they approached the New Republic X-Wing that sat opposite his older model.  
  
“I like your ship, kid!” Poe called out as the cockpit opened. A young man emerged and planted his feet in the sand. Immediately he struck an attentive military pose.  
  
“Yes, sir! Thank you, Commander Dameron, sir!” he shouted, his voice echoing around them. Poe raised his hands at the enthusiastic pilot’s volume. “Although technically, sir,” he continued screaming, “this _Incom-FrieTek T-85 X-Wing Starfighter_ is property of the New Galactic Republic Nav--”

“At ease, Xiono!” Poe loudly interrupted, placing his hands on the younger man’s shoulders.  
  
“Right, sorry Poe.”  
  
“Maybe don’t yell to the heavens about your fancy, flashy ship, kid. Trust me, there are probably hundreds of scavengers around here.”  
  
BB-8 let out a distasteful tone below them. Poe smirked at the droid.  
  
“Kazuda, you remember BB-8, right?”  
  
Kazuda nodded, pursing his lips. “I certainly remember that shock-prod well enough,” he spoke bitterly while rubbing his arm. The ball droid sparked up it’s shocker tauntingly, prompting him to step back defensively.  
  
“Alright, you two!” Poe stepped between them. “We’re here for a reason. Kaz, you got the intel?”  
  
“Right here, Commander,” Kaz said as he regained his composure and fingered around in a pocket on his jumpsuit. Then a different pocket. Then a third pocket. Followed by a pouch on his vest. Poe looked away to roll his eyes. It was expected behaviour of his recent recruit at this point.  
  
“Kaz?”  
  
“Just give me a second. It’s here somewhere.”  
  
“Oh, it’s fine if you don’t have it,” Poe said back patiently.  
  
“Wait, really?” Kaz looked up at him.  
  
“No. People will die. It’s literally life or death. It is _not_ okay if you don’t have the intel,” he said dryly, with a hint of truth. Kaz’s eyes went wide for a moment, before he put on a smile.  
  
“I’ll, uh… check the cockpit.”  
  
As Kaz stepped away to climb back into his ship, BB-8 spoke up with some bitter bleeps.  
  
“Yeah, I know, BB-8,” Poe Sighed. “Just give him time. We’re all new to the cause at some point.”  
  
Letting the blunder go, Poe stepped closer to the newer X-Wing. He glided his fingers over the chassis, admiring the sleek but powerful fighter craft.  
  
“Gotta say, kid, the T-85 is a hell of a ship.”  
  
“Yeah, it gets me from one system to another alright,” Kaz casually replied as he dug around the cockpit. “And makes me look _daaaarn_ fine doing-- Ah! Found it!” Kaz shouted again, but quickly covered his mouth. He held up the datastick between his fingers. Poe raised a hand up, making sure Kaz placed the fragile piece into his hand gently. He then took a knee and BB-8 rolled in front of him. A small compartment sprung open from the droid. He rested it securely inside.  
  
“Good?” He asked the droid. An agreeing beep followed. Kaz rejoined them on the ground.  
  
“So, Kaz. When are you gonna let me fly that thing? I only ever got up to the T-80s when I served.”  
  
“Oh, I’m not sure that’s allowed, Poe.”  
  
Poe laughed, playfully hitting Kaz on the back.  
  
“Oh, one day I’ll get a shot at your cockpit,” He said with a wink. “Stars, I’ve never seen a ship arrive at an in-atmosphere beacon so quickly after dropping out of Hyperspace!” Poe said excitedly. “What was that, five seconds?”  
  
“Uh, Poe?” Kaz raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been on Jakku for an hour.”  
  
Poe’s face contorted in confusion. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Yeah, I landed in the wrong spot. Kinda hard without a navigator,” he indicated to the empty astromech compartment on his X-Wing. “But I figured bringing a Republic droid to an undercover spy mission that betrays the Republic would be dangerous.”  
  
“That wasn’t _just_ you coming out of Hyperspace?” Poe asked, still puzzled. He then raised an ear to the sky.  
  
“In fact, I actually landed at some village on a plateau a little while from here,” Kaz continued.  
  
_“Shhh…”_ Poe cut in.  
  
“Would you believe there was some old guy that said he knew General Organa?” 

_“Shoosh!”_ Poe raised a finger as he tried to focus on the approaching sound.  
  
“What was his name?” Kaz wondered aloud to himself. “Lore? Tekkin? Lars? Something with a _Leth_ in i--” 

“Shut _up!_ ” He cut him off demanding. Kaz took the hint and fell silent. What they began to hear in the distance gave them both an uneasy feeling. The attackers came in fast.  
  
“Get down!” Poe shouted, tackling Kaz to the ground. The howl of the TIE Fighters was only covered by the deafening explosion as they began firing on the three of them. Poe managed to look up from the ground just in time to see his X-Wing take a direct hit. The Fighters zoomed overhead with their initial pass. With only a moment to spare, Poe got back up to his feet, pulling Kaz up with him.  
  
“What happened!?” Kaz yelled in panicked confusion. “Your ship! It’s on fire! It’s all on fire! The whole thing’s on fire!”  
  
“Listen to me!” Poe ordered, grabbing the frightened pilot by his flight vest. “Mine’s not going anywhere. You need to get BB-8 out of here, _now!_ ”  
  
“What?! _Me?_ I… I…” Kaz stammered as the droid rolled up frantically. Poe knelt down to BB-8.  
  
“You need to go with Kazuda. His ship is your only escape!”   
  
BB-8 objected, but Poe didn’t have time to hear him out. “Listen, I’m not going anywhere. Tell him to take you to Castilon. Find Yeager and tell him to get you back to Leia. This is bigger than me, pal!” He went as far as to push the small droid toward the still-functioning ship, and they finally complied. He turned to Kaz, who was still dazed and confused. Instead of trying to reason, he simply grabbed the scared young man by the back of his vest and shoved him in the direction of the cockpit. He heard the TIEs coming in for a second run.  
  
Kaz looked back at him, seemingly understanding the stakes. The ship was already off the ground as he climbed back into the cockpit, with BB-8 taking over piloting for the time being. Before the enemy fighters could hit their target, the X-Wing had already gone on it’s way. The ground around Poe exploded. The heavy lasers glassed the sand as they hit. The blasts missed him directly, but still knocked him off of his feet. He watched them pass overhead again, this time changing course to pursue Kaz and BB-8.  
  
“Come on! Come on!” he mumbled to himself. The bright blue fighter quickly pulled a fancy maneuver to dodge their fire. Within seconds, it was behind the three TIE Fighters. Within several more, the three TIE Fighters were being shredded apart by bright pink laser bolts.  
  
“Definitely didn’t teach the droid that one.”  
  
The wrecked ships fell out of the sky in glowing messes of smoke, fire, and metal. The X-Wing disappeared into the night, and was quickly gone into hyperspace.  
  
“Not bad, kid,” Poe huffed out before crawling away.  
  
  
\-- ♦♦ --  
  
  
If the system’s sun was above Niima Outpost right now, Kyla Ren was sure her shuttle would overshadow it. The black-clad woman stood in the cockpit of her personal vessel. In front of them were several troop landers making their way to the ground. Only one Resistance ship made it away. The other was a smoldering wreck. Surely the owner had taken refuge among the scavenger scum. A small gathering of people began to form around the landing zone.  
  
“Commander,” a modulated voice came from behind her. “The villagers?”  
  
Kyla considered the action to take. As they now hovered in place, dozens of Stormtroopers poured out of the landing craft below.  
  
“Order your troops to contain them for now, but do not begin the purge,” she answered calmly. “Any one of them might know where our friend is hiding.” 

Kyla directed the pilot to drop the boarding ramp. With a last look through the red-tinted viewport, she secured her own helmet over her head. She made her way to the edge of the ramp, tens of meters above the ground. With swiftness and grace, she landed herself just below. Then, taking an upright posture, she began to step toward the villagers. The Stormtroopers began circling in around her and the crowd. A quiet ambiance of confused voices from the growing mob fell silent at the sight of her. Their fear radiated off of them like the heat of a star. She smiled behind the mask before addressing them.  
  
“Inhabitants of Niima Outpost,” her voice echoed through the quiet settlement from her shuttle’s PA system. “As you have witnessed tonight, enemies of the First Order have made your home a spot for illegal gatherings and acts of Resistance terrorism against a passing First Order patrol,” she indicated to the plumes of smoke from the wrecked TIE Fighters. “We believe one of them still remains here. If this Resistance agent reveals themselves, there will be no need for further violence. However, if they choose to remain hidden, then they doom this entire settlement to the same fate they did our pilots.”  
  
More panic and mumbling began throughout the crowd. Between the many species around, they all spoke the same language of terror. Kyla Ren gave a moment, truthfully hoping the Resistance Pilot would make the mission brief for her. Instead, a different figure emerged. Shoving its way through the people, a girthy Crolute stormed toward her.  
  
“Who do you think you are making demands of me and my people? The First Order has no jurisdiction here!” He shouted. The creature towered over Kyla. She did not even dignify his rowdy behaviour by meeting his eyes. “I have men with blasters trained on you atop every roof for blocks.” She scanned the rooftops from behind her silver-lined visor. The talking blob of flesh wasn’t lying. “What, did you think? That I would let you have a few of your pathetic Stormtroopers incinerate this Outpost over a squabble with some Republic trash?”  
  
_As if it were truly ever your choice._  
  
In a single swift motion, the loathsome man’s head was freed from his neck before her fiery Lightsaber blade was even fully extended. The collapse of the decapitated body shook the ground around her. For a moment, everyone seemed to stand in stunned silence. It did not last long.  
  
A barrage of different coloured blaster bolts opened on her and her troops. She blocked them expertly with her Lightsaber. Several of the villagers from the crowd drew their own weapons while the rest ran for safety.  
  
“Disperse!” She ordered. “Kill the armed, capture the cowards!”  
  
As her shuttle moved above her to survey the skirmish, she called out through the PA once more.  
  
“I will find you, you Resistance Scum! Come to me and live or die with the rest of these people in the coming firestorm!”  
  
The land was illuminated with blaster fire and explosives. Truly, this chaos was Kyla’s favourite part of any day. It all gave her focus. With the Stormtroopers scattered around for blocks now, several armed people closed on her. Deflecting their fire with one blade, a second from her dual-linked hilt activated. Undeterred by the double-bladed weapon, they still moved closer, sealing their fate. Five of them surrounded her from every side. Suddenly, she extended a hand in the air and they all froze in their tracks. Through her use of Force, each attempted killer was locked in place around her, unable to move even enough to pull their trigger. The shock on their faces made her chuckle. The demented laugh was the last thing they heard before they were all struck down at once by a single spin of her weapon around her. She stepped over their corpses.  
  
Kyla Ren began toward the streets, intent on drawing out the hiding Resistance member.  
  
  
\-- ♦♦ --  
  
  
FN-2187 tightened his grip on his blaster. Ducking behind a crate as two of the townsfolk shot at him. Looking around, all he saw was violence and horror. He truly wished that Resistance pilot had given themselves up. All of this could have been avoided. He couldn’t even identify anyone in the chaos. Troopers carrying flamethrowers were torching buildings. Scared pacifists were being violently snatched up by his own fellow soldiers. People defending their home were being shot down without any second thought. Never did FN-2187 expect his service to the First Order to ever come close to combat.  
  
A feeling arose in him past the panic. He knew the two gunmen -- and likely more -- were making their way to him. He peeked over the crate to confirm. Instantly, two blaster bolts flew past his head and into the villagers attacking him. Frightened by the close hit, he scurried away in the sand and looked up. Above him was another Stormtrooper, holding their hand out.  
  
“Come on, ‘87!” They called to him. “Get up! We need to--”  
  
The Trooper didn’t get to finish their sentence before a heavy blaster bolt blew into their chest, knocking them to the ground next to him. He cowered again, tucking his helmet between his arms. Another big bolt flew over him and blasted a hole in the wall above. He looked at his own blaster. Flipping a switch, he waited for the next heavy bolt to go by and immediately poked up from behind the crate. A few meters ahead, a Nikto reloaded the huge blaster cannon. Before they could do so, a blue ring of energy hit them and they fell down in the sand.  
  
‘87 ducked down after stunning the gunner and let out a breath. A sick feeling grew in his gut at doing that. He tried not to focus on it, instead turning over to the injured trooper at his side. They laid on the ground holding their chest. Their armour was scorched black and helmet slipped halfway up their head. Through the blasters, explosions, and commotion, FN-2187 could hear their pained groans. It made him sicker still. With all the strength he could muster in the moment, he dragged the Trooper closer to his cover.  
  
“Stay with me! You’re gonna be alright. We’re all getting out of here, ‘49”  
  
That’s what ‘87 told himself at first. However, his heart sank when he saw the wound. For a moment, he held out hope that they might recover. The trooper before him held a hand out to him. By instinct, he took it in his own. ‘49 tightened their grip before mustering some words to him.  
  
“Live free, FN-21--”  
  
His last words were cut short by two blaster bolts hitting them. ‘87 recognized the weapon type. Shocked, he turned his head to see the gold-plated First Order rifle that killed his friend. It’s owner forced him back to a standing position.  
  
“FN-2187,” a feminine voice spoke through her silver helmet. “Who authorized you to _stun_ these criminals?”  
  
He didn’t answer. He stared down at the dead Stormtrooper, entirely stunned himself. It took her physically grabbing his helmet and turning him to her attention to bring him back to reality.  
  
“Captain Phasma, I…” He stammered. He looked up at her, a head taller than him at least. She forcefully pulled his own weapon from his hand and switched it back to the kill setting. It was shoved back into his hands.  
  
“You will submit to reconditioning when we are back aboard the Destroyer,” She ordered. “Now, with me. We are nearly done here.”  
  
‘87 followed behind her, looking back to his fallen comrade for a final time.  
  
They approached the landing zone again. Around them were tons of bodies, First Order and villagers alike. Only about a couple-dozen living Stormtroopers were gathered around the area now. He scanned over them, trying to confirm whether anyone else he knew was dead. He could not get a proper look at everybody. In the middle of all the Troopers were Outpost survivors. Most stood with tears down their faces and a quake in their boots.  
  
The Commander emerged from an alleyway. She was covered in dirt and sand. Phasma ordered ‘87 to stand in place while she joined Kyla Ren.  
  
“I am done playing your game, Resistance scum!” Commander Ren yelled. She angrily marched toward the group of terrified people. With a gloved hand, she yanked at the arm of a grey-haired woman. Shoving the elderly to the ground, she ignited her Lightsaber. Both red, cackling blades were faced at the intended victim by the hinged hilt. FN-2187 felt his heart begin to race.  
  
A blood-curdling scream came from the crowd. He recognized a young voice behind it.  
  
“Nana, no!” the child shouted. The young boy ran right toward the Commander. ‘87 immediately raised his blaster, knowing what he would have to do if Ren had the mentality to do what he thought she was going to. Luckily to all parties, that was not the case. She simply raised a hand and the kid stopped in place.  
  
“Come out now or the boy will watch their last love die!”  
  
“No, no! Please!” The child could only move enough to yell their fearful pleads.  
  
“Three!” Kyla began counting down. FN-2187 hoped to the stars the Resistance member would reveal themselves.  
  
“Two!” She raised her blades to the air above the old woman. The child tried to cower.  
  
“One--”  
  
_“Stop!”_ A different called out. “I’m here!”  
  
‘87 turned to see a man coming out from the shadows. He was unarmed and his hands were raised in the air. The troopers all trained their weapons toward him. ‘87 did the same, but kept an eye on the Commander’s near-victims. She slowly lowered her Lightsaber, away from the woman. The child fell to the ground, physically unharmed. Ren left them behind. She walked toward the man while two Stormtroopers secured him. He breathed out a sigh of relief that the man had done the right thing. Finally.  
  
He and the rest of the Stormtroopers closed their perimeter around the captured man. As he walked past the woman on the ground a few meters away, she was cradling the child in her arms as both cried hysterically.  
  
“Begin prepping the transports,” Phasma ordered a handful of her soldiers. They broke off from the main group and headed toward the landers. The last of them crowded around the Resistance agent. After seizing and discarding his weapon, the troopers handling him kicked him to the ground. He was knelt in front of the Commander. Her Lightsaber had long gone out and was attached to her side. She leaned down to speak with him.  
  
“All this,” Kyla indicated around her. “Was it worth it, Dameron?”  
  
_Dameron?_ ‘87 thought to himself. He was sure he knew that name went high up in The Resistance.  
  
“How many more people have to die before you and your rabble of Resistance give it up?”  
  
Dameron looked up at her with a scowl.  
  
“Look around, lady,” he growled. “ _This_ is all on you.”  
  
“No. Your uncaring and your hubris killed these people, Captain. I was simply the means you brought down on them.”  
  
Dameron didn’t respond. He simply shook his head in dismay.  
  
“Where is your Resistance hiding?” She asked. “What information did your friend give you?”  
  
“Save your breath, Ren. You know I won’t talk.”  
  
She leaned in close to him. “Oh, I promise you will.”  
  
Kyla Ren stood back to her feet. “Get him onto a shuttle,” she ordered the handlers. FN-2187 watched as they began taking him away.  
  
“What shall we do with the rest of them?” Phasma questioned the Commander.  
  
Ren looked over the survivors of the attack. ‘87 feared she was about to give the worst order.  
  
“They will live to tell the tale of this day,” she said, much to his relief. “But take that child and do as you will.”  
  
The First Order invaders all made their way to their shuttles. Two troopers took the boy in their grasp. He shouted and tried to wrestle away. The older caretaker tried to fight them off, but a fist to her face planted her back to the ground. Finn didn’t move again. This night had been nothing short of a nightmare in his eyes. He felt powerless to do anything now as they hauled the kid away onto another lander shuttle.  
  
“‘87.”  
  
He jumped at hearing his designation. Turning to his side was another Stormtrooper. One that he was overjoyed -- as much as he could be while filled with dread for everything else -- had survived. She laid a hand on his shoulder.  
  
“TZ-1719? Thank the stars, you’re…”  
  
The sound of the Command Shuttle taking off drowned him out.  
  
“Come on, ‘87.”  
  
TZ helped him toward the lander that held the First Order’s new Resistance prisoner.  
  
“Where’s ‘49?” She asked as they boarded. She stood on the ramp, looking for anymore surviving Troopers. He turned to her and simply shook his head. She looked back at him for a moment before they both moved into the transport. It was far less crowded than when they landed. The ramp closed behind them. FN-2187 finally dropped to his backside against a wall.  
  
For now, at least this was all over.  
  
  
\-- ♦♦ --  
  


  
He stood tall in front of the sandy village. He hated the sand. He hated the dirty scavenger outpost. Behind him, his army of Stormtroopers raised black blasters to the townspeople. His deep voice was strong and intimidating through the dark helmet. He ordered the people to hand over his prey or die. It was then that the man he hated most came before him. His owner -- employer, abuser, and means of survival -- was eye-to-eye with his mask. As always, they barked their own orders. They told him to leave the area, that he had no power. He had looked forward to this opportunity. He had power now.  
  
Their words were cut off by heavy gasps. He raised his black-gloved hand in front of him. His grip on his victim’s thick neck through the Force tightened. It did not stop tightening. Before long, the large man was dead and hit the ground with a thud. Satisfaction poured over him at dispatching this malevolent beast that held him down for so long. Apparently nobody else shared similar feelings. The crowds of sentient beings opened fire. Attacking him was a choice he did not even pity them for. Lightsaber in hand, he cut them all down. His troops laid waste to the outpost. The decimation of the area was a blur to him. Simply a blind rage.  
  
He stood in the middle of the carnage now. Before him was a wrecked speeder where a woman and child hid from him. He marched toward the vehicle. Raising his saber to strike them down with the rest, an image caught his eye. A pit the size of the galaxy opened in his gut. He collapsed to his knees, letting his Lightsaber land in the sand next to him. In the shattered windscreen he saw himself. He saw that helmet he knew so well. Everything but him became a blur and all sound fell silent.  
  
All he heard now was a single mechanical breath.  
  
_Grandfather!_ _  
_ _  
_ Ben woke from the nightmare. He was drenched in sweat and sick to his stomach over all he had witnessed. He held his head in his hands. In all the years that he had them, his dark dreams had never been so vivid. They had the same patterns, sure. He followed in the shadow of Vader, destroying all that stood against him. For a time, he considered these dreams to be a curse of the Force; A penance to Vader’s bloodline for his crimes.  
  
Tonight was different, though.  
  
These weren’t blurred dreams of his Grandfather’s misdeeds. These were people and places he knew. Places and faces he’d seen just hours ago, even. It had all been so real. A flash of the dream repeated in his head. He had killed Unkar Plutt. He had an uneasy feeling when reliving the satisfaction that came with taking his life. For all the trouble that the Crolute was, Plutt was the only thing keeping him from starving to death out here. Ben shook his head. He knew right now that he would never make such a rash decision.  
  
He took a moment to breathe. The sound of his own natural breath soothed him. _  
_ _  
_ Once calm enough to stop shaking, Ben felt a dryness in his throat. Not keen on just going back to sleep anytime soon, he stood to his feet. Trudging over to the small moisture vaporator in the room, he looked in the sand-stained window of the old Destroyer’s window. The reflection in the glass was his own. His own dark hair. His own face, not covered by a mask. His own bare skin and scars. None of it indicated his being anyone but a lone scavenger in the middle of nowhere.  
  
Exactly why he came here.  
  
_You’re not him. You’re nobody._  
  
Emptying the contents of the vaporator through a filter, he was displeased with only a few ounces of water. The sip was less than satisfying. He rolled his eyes and reactivated the machine. Looking back through the window, the black sky of the night had begun giving way to the faintest shades of blue. From atop the bridge, he had the most perfect view of the endless desert. As he turned, something caught his eye. He leaned over a long-dead command console. Toward the sunrise was the faintest view of smoke rising to the sky. Ben’s eyes widened as he considered the implications. Clearly something had crashed in the far dunes. Thanking the stars for the courtesy to wake him early -- shocking and sickening as it may have been -- he spared no time.  
  
Quicky throwing on his tattered old shirt and jacket, he raced to get himself down to ground-level. Swinging from rusted cables and climbing down old maintenance shafts, he was soon making his way. He slid in his boots down a tilted corridor that had been blasted to the open elements. Once leveled-out, he stopped at a familiar wide door that was cracked open. It was easy enough to pry open under his own strength. Inside was the transport he was looking for. He climbed onto the old scout bike he’d rebuilt some months back.  
  
Fixing a pair of goggles and helmet liner over his head, he kicked the engine on. Within seconds, he was already speeding away from the crashed Imperial Star Destroyer. The sun was breaking over the horizon now. Ben began to think of the treasure he was -- hopefully -- about to be the first person to uncover. He didn’t know what to expect for sure, but any fresh tech was worth the pay.  
  
Surely Unkar would be pleased with his findings and finally offer up proper lodging at Niima Outpost.  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben discovers the ruins of the recent attack and Poe and FN-2187 take notice of each other.

Ben could not believe what he saw.   
  
From atop a tall dune, he stood next to his speeder. The billows of black smoke continued to rise to the sky some distance away. He didn’t even need to pull out his binocs to recognize Niima Outpost. Or, whatever still remained of it. Ben was in utter shock. He went as far as to try and wake himself up again, fearing he was still within a nightmare. Inside, though, he knew what he was looking at was all too real. He couldn’t even begin to fathom what might have happened. In his sickeningly realistic dream, the armies of the Empire had decimated the outpost. Turning to look back from where he’d come, he made sure the field of Imperial Star Destroyers were still just rusted remnants.   
  
Instead of continuing to wonder, he slowly climbed back onto the speederbike. Part of him did not want to see the damage up close. He had to know what had happened. His livelihood -- the lives of many beings in the region -- could be affected if the destruction was as bad as it appeared.   
  
Fixing his headgear on again, he began toward the area. Just on the outskirts, he barely made out what looked like a crash-site. They looked like TIE Fighters, but none that he had ever seen before. He didn’t bother to investigate them, instead choosing to continue toward town.   
  
As he passed under the large archway that acted as an entrance to the settlement, he slowed his vehicle to a halt. There was a haze of smoke surrounding everything. It was all eerily quiet. The only noise came from small cackling fires that were still burning in various places. Ben dismounted the bike. He scanned around, but could barely make out anything between the smoke and low morning light. Unsure of what direction to begin looking in, he just stepped forward blindly. He didn’t get more than a few steps before tripping. He expected to land flat on the ground. In fact, he would have preferred to land on the bare ground.   
  
Ben gasped and pushed himself away once he realized he’d tripped on a dead man’s body. Scurrying on his backside, he stopped when he felt himself hit something else. To his horror, another corpse lay close-by. His heart began to race as he looked around at the ground and saw many more silhouettes of remains through the smoke. He sprang back up to his feet. Slowly, he began to walk further into the carnage, sure to watch each step.   
  
He knew he’d recognized some of these people. An immense dread filled him. Then came a worse feeling when he recognized some of the other bodies. Unmistakably, they were Stormtroopers. Flashes began to fill his mind from his earlier nightmare. A feeling attune to regrettable responsibility came over Ben. In reality, he knew he was asleep as this all happened, but it was all nearly the same as he saw in his slumber.   
  
The sound of heavy coughing snapped out of the agonizing and self-incriminating thoughts. He snapped his eyes forward, glimpsing the shadow of a small figure down an alleyway. The apparent survivor looked hurt by the way they walked. Ben approached them as quickly as he could, trying to avoid the rubble and carcasses. As he got close, the woman stopped in her tracks and looked right at him.   
  
“No! Please, just leave me be!”   
  
In a panic, she stumbled backward. She fell to the ground, coughing and sobbing. Ben rushed to her side pulling her up to a sitting position. He removed the drapings from his face to reveal himself. She began to calm when she realized he was not an attacker.   
  
“Ben?” She asked, still shocked and confused. He nodded.   
  
“What happened here?” He asked outright.   
  
“Oh, thank the heavens you’re alive, boy,” she said. Ben spotted a wound on her face. She began harshly coughing some more.   
  
“Come on,” he instructed, taking her arm over his shoulder. “Let’s get away from the smoke.”   
  
Ben guided the woman to a nearby building that appeared sealed off and mostly unscathed. Luckily for both of them, the door was unlocked and opened on command. Once inside, he recognized the building to be the local bar. With the door closed and the lights on, he sat her at a booth. Not joining her immediately, he instead looked around for the air recycler to filter any smoke away from their relatively safe area. Much to his relief and both of their needs, there were still containers of clean water nearby, as well. He retrieved a jug and two glasses and returned to her.   
  
They both gulped down all they could before he continued their dialogue.   
  
“Nas’sa, do you have any idea who attacked?” He asked. “I saw the Stormtroopers outside, but I thought all of the local Imperial holdouts collapsed years ago.”   
  
“I don’t think this was anyone from the old Empire, child. These beasts may look the same, but…” she paused to cough, “but I suspect they are a new breed of the same evil I fought so long ago.”   
  
Ben was about to ask what she meant before she reached up to massage the bruise on her face. He quickly pulled open the satchel at his side and retrieved a small device.   
  
“I take it this was their doing, as well?” he asked as he sprayed a small bit of bacta to her wound.   
  
Nas’sa opened her mouth to speak, but seemed to choke on her words.   
  
“More water?” he quickly reached for the jug. She shook her head.   
  
“It’s just…” she paused and looked to him with tears in her eyes. “They took Jea.”   
  
Ben did not know how to respond when she began crying through her words, so he simply listened to what she could get out.   
  
“They were here looking for someone,” she continued. “She claimed we were hiding some sort of terrorist. I had no idea what she was talking about. I’d only heard her ships attacking and only came out after they’d stopped. That’s when the woman in robes came out looking for them.”   
  
Ben nodded along.   
  
“Unkar! He tried to stop her. Tried to tell her to leave, but she--” Nas’sa choked up again.   
  
Ben’s breath hitched as he was sure what she was about to say.   
  
“She killed him. Didn’t she?”   
  
Nas’sa nodded and wiped away tears. Ben ran his fingers through his hair as the memories resurfaced again. It had all happened, just as he saw it, it seemed. Before he could begin to think too hard on the matter, she placed her hand around his wrist and continued.   
  
Ben took her hand in his own. Instantly, his surroundings became dark. The woman in front of him disappeared. He began to feel cold and tried to look for any clues as to what was happening. Only a faint light was overhead, barely illuminating the durasteel walls in the small room. For a moment, he assumed he was still dreaming. No matter what he tried, though, he could not seem to wake up. Right then he realized he was not alone here. He could feel someone around him. He spun around and the presence revealed itself.   
  
It was almost like a shadow looking back at him. He could not make out features, just a dark ghost-like figure staring right back at him. For the longest short time, they only looked back at one another confused. It was then that the stranger lurched forward at him. The last thing he saw before it all disappeared was the clear shape of their helmet.   
  
Falling on his ass did not feel good. As the shock of their attack wore off, he realized where he truly was.   
  
“Ben?!” Nas’sa called out. He looked up at her concerned face. Stunned for a moment, he pulled himself back to his seat in the booth.   
  
“Are you alright, kid?”   
  
Was he? Ben did not know. He could not explain what had just happened.   
  
“I’m sorry. I have a lot on my mind right now.”   
  
This was true, at least. But there were more pressing matters at the moment than his delusions.   
  
“Go on, please,” he said. Nas’sa continued to explain the night’s events.   
  
“She knocked me to the ground and pulled one of those laser swords out on me. I was so sure she was going to kill me.”   
  
_A Lightsaber?_ _  
_ _  
_ “The man they were hunting finally gave himself up. That’s when they took Jea. I tried to fight them, Ben!” She began to sob, “But then the last thing I remember was waking up in the dirt at sunrise just before you showed up.”   
  
“I’m sorry,” was all he could really muster. He truly was unsure of how to console the woman, were it even possible.   
  
“Do you know what the First Order does with children, Ben?”   
  
Before he registered the question she asked, the two words repeated in his mind.   
  
_First Order?_ _  
_ _  
_ She continued to speak, but he couldn’t make out any of it as his thoughts were fixed on who she just said were the attackers. He had heard rumours that they had begun to mobilize. It explained why he hadn't particularly recognized the Stormtroopers outside. They must not have been Imperial at all.   
  
“Are you sure?!”   
  
Nas’sa raised an eyebrow and he realized he had interrupted whatever she was saying.   
  
“Are you sure it was the First Order?”   
  
She nodded confidently. “I did not think they were real until a few hours ago. But the woman with the red blades announced them as such.”   
  
Ben leaned back in his seat. This was all becoming so complicated.   
  
“Why did that Resistance criminal have to come _here,_ Ben?!”   
  
He shot her a bothered look.   
  
_The Resistance is involved in all of this?_ _  
_ _  
_ “Of all the places in the galaxy, they came _here_ and now…”   
  
Their conversation was interrupted by the hiss of the door they’d come in.   
  
In that second, something overtook Ben; a feeling of urgency. He turned to the door to see the detonator flying toward them. He was quick to his feet, but couldn’t do anything more than duck before it went off.   
  
He didn’t understand what had happened at first. All he saw was the flash of white around him and felt an impact, but when he opened his eyes he was still standing unscathed. Around him was a new cloud of smoke and a crater in the floor. He was untouched. Looking straight ahead of him, he realized his arms were stretched forward.   
  
When he lowered them again, he saw her.   
  
“Nas’sa!” Ben ran to her on the floor. He shuddered when he saw her. On his knees, he cradled her, trying to look for any sign of life.   
  
_“J… Jea?”_ She spoke very quietly. _“What’s… what is it… grandboy?”_ _  
_ _  
_ “Nas’?” Ben tried to get her attention. She didn’t respond to it. Instead, she reached for his face, dragging a finger over his cheek.   
  
_“I’ll be… I’ll… up soon… Jea…”_ _  
_ _  
_ She went limp in his arms. Ben whimpered as her hand left his face. In her final moment, he could feel as the rest of her life left her body.   
  
He held her for what felt like hours as he tried to understand what was happening. He replayed the incident in his head. The split second before the weapon exploded. Ben saw himself raise his hands in an instinctual defense. Nothing could have spared him from that blast. Nothing except…   
  
_No…_ _  
_ _  
_ A frightened sound emanated from Ben as he realized what he did. He could feel it in him now. Even years out of practice, he’d called on the Force. His mind raced. Looking down at his two hands, he did not comprehend how he had done such a thing without thought. He then looked down at the woman in his lap. He shuddered.   
  
_What did I do?_ _  
_ _  
_ Before the blame set in completely, his instincts flared up once more. Whipping himself around, he saw the Stormtrooper in the door before they’d even addressed him.   
  
“Hands up, scavenger!”   
  
Ben complied automatically.   
  
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this one,” the trooper taunted as they walked toward him. A mix of emotions filled Ben. He looked down at the deceased, and the emotion that motivated his next actions was anger.   
  
The Stormtrooper took aim with their blaster. Ben looked at it and directed his feelings toward the device. The weapon began to shake in the soldier’s hands. The helmeted attacker made a confused sound before the blaster crumbled into a mess of parts in their hands.   
  
“What the--”   
  
Their curiosity was cut off as their whole body was launched across the room. Parts of their armour shattered as they slammed into the wall and slumped onto the floor.   
  
Ben stood up, breathing heavily. His face was contorted in fury. He stared at the trooper on the ground for a moment. It was long enough to realize that it left him unsatisfied. When he looked at the dead woman at his feet, he realized it was less than dissatisfaction at his action. It was fear that began spreading through him. He collapsed onto his knees beside her.   
  
“You’re not him. You’re not him,” he said quietly. “You’re nobody.”   
  
  
\-- ♦♦ --   
  
  
FN-2187 looked around at the people on the transport. Less than an hour ago, it carried twenty Stormtroopers into battle. Now there were five and a prisoner. He wondered if one man was worth it. Whether it was worth all of the destruction and death that took place that night. The man seemed very familiar. ‘87 felt like he’d heard the name before.   
  
_Dameron…_ _  
_ _  
_ He looked over to TZ, who apparently was focused on something on the ceiling. He stepped over to her side.   
  
“Who is he?” he asked quietly.   
  
She quirked her helmet. “What, the prisoner?”   
  
‘87 nodded. “Isn’t there something familiar about him?”   
  
“I don’t know. He looks to me like another poor sap that got himself captured.”   
  
FN-2187 rolled his eyes behind his visor.   
  
“No, I mean I think I heard Ren say his name,” he explained. “ _Dameron_ , or something? Wasn’t that the name of some high value guy in the Resistance?”   
  
He’d apparently gotten TZ’s attention. “Did you say _Dameron_ ?” she asked a little louder.   
  
They both looked to the prisoner on his knees. He looked right back at them with a confused expression. They looked back to each other’s helmets.   
  
“That’s what I heard the Commander say,” ‘87 confirmed.   
  
“ _Poe_ Dameron?” TZ inquired.   
  
“I don’t know. She just said _Dameron._ ”   
  
“Well how many bloody Damerons do you think there are in the Resistance?”   
  
‘87 genuinely didn’t know. They both looked at the prisoner again. He was still staring at them.   
  
“Hey, Resistance guy,” TZ shouted across the transport. ‘87 darted his eyes at her, not knowing what she was doing. “Who are you?”   
  
“What?” The unspecified Dameron shot back.   
  
“What are you doing,” ‘87 asked her, baffled.   
  
“Scoot,” she ordered as she lightly pushed past him. FN-2187 followed her as she approached the man in question. “What’s your name?”   
  
Dameron looked up at her, then to him. ‘87 shrugged his shoulders.   
  
“Well, I think you and your friend here already know my name since you’ve said it about a million times to yourselves now.”   
  
“ _You’re_ Poe Dameron, then?” TZ asked for a final time. Poe nodded, having no clue what was going on. She looked to ‘87 and placed her hands on the side of her helmet. His eyes went wide as she removed it from her head. “That good enough for you?”   
  
“What are you doing?” he asked her, looking around the ship to see everyone staring at her.   
  
“It’s good enough for me,” TZ said before turning to the two Stormtroopers behind them. He didn’t even see her draw her blaster before she put a bolt in each of their chests. She was just as quick to turn around and blast the Trooper handling Poe Dameron. To his shock and dismay, ‘87 began to realize what was happening.   
  
“Wait, _now!?_ ” He pulled off his own helmet. “We’re doing this right _now?!_ ”   
  
“What is going on down there?” A voice called from the tower above them. With a blind shot above her, TZ opened fire one more time and the black-clad pilot fell between them.   
  
“We’re doing this now,” she said with a smirk.   
  
“What’s _now!_ What are we doing _now?!_ ” Poe called out.   
  
‘87 paced around the shuttle, holding his head in disbelief that they were doing…   
  
this.   
  
_Now._   
  
TZ looked down at Poe. “We’re kidnapping you.”   
  
“You already kidnapped me!”   
  
TZ grabbed FN-2187’s shoulder as he passed by, grumbling to himself.   
  
“No, no. _We’re_ kidnapping you.”   
  
Poe looked up at the two of them, stunned.   
  
“You need a pilot,” he stated matter-of-factly.   
  
“And a bargaining chip,” she clarified to him.   
  
“I’m being kidnapped by the same people twice in one night. What are the odds?”   
  
‘87 pulled TZ away. “So what’s your plan, here?!” he asked with a serious tone.   
  
“Surviving a landing for a start,” she joked. He rolled his eyes. “And, we… call up the Resistance, I guess. Tell them we got their man.”   
  
“And what?” Poe cut in. “Did you see my ship down there? Thing was thirty years old and falling apart before you guys destroyed it. And now you’re gonna try to make the Resistance pay a ransom?”   
  
“See, TZ! They’re poor!” ‘87 gestured over to Poe.   
  
“At least one of you is rational,” Poe scoffed.   
  
“Rational,” ‘87 nodded. “See--,” he looked at Poe, “Thank you.”   
  
“No problem, guy who -- I repeat -- has kidnapped me _twice_ in one night.”   
  
Dameron stood to his feet, hands still in binders. TZ raised her blaster at him, but ‘87 placed his hand over it to push it back down.   
  
“Look,” Poe said, abandoning his sarcastic tone, “I take it you two aren’t First Order?”   
  
“Not anymore,” said TZ. Poe nodded, as he approached them.   
  
“So you’re running. I get it and I commend the bravery. But you’re not gonna get very far without credits. That’s why you’re taking me for yourselves, right?”   
  
She nodded affirmatively.   
  
“Sorry to break it to you, but the Resistance doesn’t have any.”   
  
TZ shook her head, apparently realizing the flaws in her plan. Quickly, she tried to devise a new one.   
  
“Then… then we’ll just turn you over to the First Order. They pay big for high value targets.”   
  
Poe raised an eyebrow. “Brilliant, kid. But I’m going to guess they don’t take kindly to deserters. Especially ones trying to make demands?”   
  
TZ paced the floor. ‘87 looked back and forth between them.   
  
“We’ll make a deal!” she tried.   
  
“TZ, come on,” ‘87 said to her.   
  
“Listen to your friend here, TZ,” Poe said to her. “There’s no _dealing_ with the First Order. Otherwise, the three of us wouldn’t be here stealing their ship and running away from them.”   
  
She stopped and stared at Poe. ‘87 had never seen her so shaken.   
  
“So what do you propose then? We just drop you off with your friends and then survive on some forest moon?”   
  
Poe smiled at her, and then to ‘87.   
  
“Listen to me, guys. I’m not saying any of that. Well, except the first part where you drop me off with my friends. But I can help you, too.”   
  
“Why should we even trust you?” TZ asked, raising her blaster again, albeit with a more shaky grip. ‘87 stepped between Poe and the weapon. He looked her right in the eye.   
  
“We can trust him,” he stated with confidence. “It’s that feeling. That one from when you and I met. I feel it here, right now with Dameron.”   
  
With a slight sting in her eyes, she gave in and dropped her weapon to the floor. ‘87 placed a consoling hand over her shoulder.   
  
“I really _can_ help you two,” Poe broke the momentary silence. “You ever hear of Castilon?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you spotted any spelling errors or typos,  
> don't be afraid to call them out, please. I  
> only gave this one a once-over before  
> posting.
> 
> If you're entirely bored, you can  
> find me on Twitter @LjPynn and  
> hit me up <3 <3


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